Sen. Schumer Calls for DEA to Deploy Teams to NY to Fight Opioid Use

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer called Sunday on the Drug
Enforcement Agency for help fighting the rise of opioid use and drug
overdoses in the city.

He asked the agency to deploy one of four new special heroin
enforcement teams to the state.

"They're SWAT teams, they're well-trained, they're special
agents, and they'll work with our local police forces in New York,
Long Island, and the suburbs to stop the heroin and the fentanyl from
coming in."

Schumer said he has allocated about $12.5 million in the 2017 budget
to help the agency form these teams, but the proposal could still take
several weeks to be approved.

Each team would consist of more than 40 members dedicated to
fighting heroin trafficking, and they would be sent to areas
designated by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The city is considered a major distribution hub of heroin, which
some opioids mimic.

Health officials said there were more than 750 overdose deaths
involving heroin last year.

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